New York, New York!
by Keep Calm and Love Ted DiBiase
Summary: I started my new job at the New York crime lab, but I never thought I would fall in Love with a certain blue-eyed Detective.
1. Introduction

Hiya, I'm Layla Riley.

I'm 27 and I live in New York City.

Job: Just about to start my first day as a CSI at the New York Crime Lab.

Besties: Stella Bonasera, she was the lead CSI on my best friends murder. Danny Messer, met him in the police academy. And Don Flack, we grew up together.

Random stuff about me: One of my best friends, Cassie got murdered when we were 14, that's why I became a CSI. Well, Better go get some sleep, bye.


	2. Life

I have lived in New York City all my life with my mom and dad. I grew up around cops. My mom and dad worked for NYPD, that's how they met. They would be sent to crime scenes together.

Even though my mom and dad worked as cops, they always had time for me. You might think it must be horrible to have both parents as cops, not knowing if they are going to come home or not. I do worry about them everyday, but I don't let it hold me back, any time I get to spend time with my parents, I do. Sometimes, mom and dad's friends from the department would come by to visit, sometimes they would bring their kids with them, so I can play with them. The department would have get togethers every now and then with all their families. I always played with my best friend, Don Flack. We would always go over to each others houses to play. We were stuck together like glue. You could not pull us apart until when he was 18, he went to the police academy to follow in his dad's footsteps, I never saw him after that.

When I was 16, I was at school when I got called to the principles office. I didn't know why, because I knew I didn't do anything wrong. Once I got there, I saw two cops there waiting. The principal told me I had to go with them because something happened to my dad. They took me to the hospital where my mom was standing waiting for me. It turned out my dad was hit in a shoot out and died during the surgery. My mother went into a deep depression, I never showed my feelings about it because I knew I had to stayed strong for my mother.

A year later, my mom was finally getting back to her usual self, I knew she would never be the same, but if we could get her back to being happy, then I would do anything to make that happen. I always want to work in law enforcement but, when Cassie died, I decided then that I wanted to become a CSI, when my dad died that gave me more determination to follow my dream and become a CSI. So, when I turned 17, I went to NYU and studied criminology and science for 7 years, then I went to the police academy for 3 years, I met one of my best friends there, Danny Messer. We would always get teamed together, so we became really good friends.


	3. First Day at my new Job

I get to the lab and straight away, I see Stella. I walk up to her with a smile on my face.

Me: Stella!

Stella turns around and see me. She smiles, runs over and hugs me.

Stella: Layla! God, I never thought I'd see you here again, whatcha doin' here?

Me: I'm here to start my new job.

Stella: Really? So Mac did hire you? I put in a good word for you but I didn't know he hired you?

Me: Welp, he did, and I'm suppose to start today, do you know where Mac is?

Stella: He's out in the field now.

A girl then runs up to us.

...: Hey, you must be Layla, I'm Lindsey.

Me: Hi, yeah that's me.

Lindsey: Good, me and you are working with Mac on a case, If you're ready, we'll go now.

Me: Yep, I'm ready, I just need a kit.

Lindsey: Your kit is in your locker, I'll show you where it is.

Me: OK, thanks. I'll see you later, Stel.

Stella: Yeah, see ya.

Me and Lindsey went to the locker room, collected my kit and headed to the crime scene. When we got there, the street was crowded with people. We got out the car and I couldn't believe my eyes. Don Flack walked up to us.

Don: Mac's around back with the DOA.

He turned around and noticed me.

Don: Lay? Is that you?

Me: Yep, in the flesh.

Don: God, It's been what? 11 years?

Me: Yep.

Don: And you're a CSI now?

Me: Yeah, after Cassie died I decided on being a CSI, when my dad died it just push me even more to become one.

Don: John died?

Me: Yeah, couple of months after you left, he got shot in a shoot out.

Don: I'm so sorry, Layla.

There was silence. Lindsey finally broke it.

Lindsey: Well, let's get to the crime scene.

Me and Don nodded and headed in the direction of the Crime Scene.

Don: I'm sorry I left and never saw you again.

Me: It's fine, I know how it is being in the academy and being a cop.

Don smiled at me.

Don: Can I take you out to dinner, for old times sake?

I smiled at him.

Me: Sure, I would like that.

Don: Great, I'll pick you up tonight around 8. That OK?

Me: Yep, It's a date.

Don just laughed at me and I smiled at him.

Lindsey: It's quite a shindig.

Don: Sunday block parties. Springtime in New York City.

Lindsey: Right in the street, huh?

Don: Where do they have 'em in Montana?

Lindsey: Wyoming.

We all smiled. Once we got into the building, we saw Mac with the DOA taking pictures.

Don: Security Guard. Darwin Judge. We got the call 'cause he missed his check-in.

Mac looked at me.

Mac: You're our new CSI?

Me: Yep, Layla Riley.

Mac: Mac Taylor.

He then looked at the DOA.

Mac: Stab wound to the stomach. No obvious trace of the attacker.

He said while handing Lindsey the camera then looked up the stairs.

Mac: But we do have a blood trail.

Lindsey: There might be some latent shoe prints. I'm gonna go get the electrostatic dust lifter.

Mac looked towards me and Don.

Mac: We'll see where these blood drops take us.

We then followed Mac up the stairs, Don allowed me to go first. I smiled at him in thanks. We all shone our flashlights on the droplets of blood, following it. We noticed the blood goes thorough the door on the 2nd floor.

Mac: Guard came through this door.

We carried on through the door onto the 2nd floor.

Mac: Quiet in here.

Don: This place is a brokerage firm. No work on Sundays.

Mac: Must be nice, huh?

Don & I: Yeah

We said as we followed the blood trail along the hall. We found a ladder and a plant tipped over.

Don: Guard put up a fight.

Mac looked up to the ceiling, I followed his line of sight. The hatch in the ceiling was off and there was a bag in it. Mac then lifted up the ladder, climbed up it and looked inside the hatch. He then unzipped the bag and looked inside. He quickly got down off the ladder.

Mac: Check the building. Get everyone out. There's a bomb. Hit the alarm.

As soon as he said that, my eyes grew wide. I looked at Don and he looked at me and hit the alarm. We then ran through the door to the stairs.

Mac: Call Central! No radios!

Don then called Central, while we ran up the stairs to get everyone out of the building.

Don: Suspicious package. 6-2-1 Greenwich. A bomb. Yeah, a bomb.

We quickly ran through the door to the floor above us. We then started chapping on all the doors to get everyone out of the building.

...: Is this some kind of drill?

Mac: Hello? Get outside now!

We shouted at people who were still in the building, just standing about like nothing was happening. We walk up to a woman standing outside her room.

Mac: How many people are here?

Woman: Two dozen, maybe more.

Mac: Out! Get outside, OK?

Don: Go, go!

Mac then called Lindsey.

Lindsey: Monroe.

Mac: Get everyone away from the building. We have a bomb. Get everyone away from the building!

We went up to the next floor to make sure everyone was out. We were checking all the door handles which all seamed to be locked.

Mac: Clear! Clear! All right. Come on, let's go.

He said to Don and I. We walked towards the door to the stairs.

...: What's going on?

We turned around and saw a guy with headphones on. We walked towards him to get him outside.

Don: Hey, get the hell out of here!

The bomb exploded, Don had covered my body with his just in time for the bomb exploded.


	4. Stuck in the Rubble

~~No one's POV~~

Lindsey is on her phone trying to get a hold of Mac.

Lindsey: Mac, can you here me? Mac!

Stella: Lindsey!

Lindsey turned around to see Stella running towards her.

Lindsey: Hey. I've been trying to reach them. They were inside.

Stella: Yeah, we heard the 10-33. Hey, Guys! Listen up, there's at least 3 NYPD cops in there, maybe other survivors. Let's go! Move it!

Hawkes & Danny walked up to Stella & Lindsey.

Hawkes: We'll set up a temporary post.

Lindsey: We were working a DOA in the back of the building.

Danny: You all right?

Lindsey: Yeah, yeah.

Danny: We'll check that out.

he said as he guided Lindsey away.

Hawkes: We radio safe?

Stella: Okay listen, if another charge was looking for a radio signal it would have gone off by now.

Hawkes: Let's go. I'm right behind you!

he says as he runs off after Danny. Stella turns around and walks over to Lindsey. Stella sees the cut on her forehead.

Stella: Lindsey, you're cut.

she says check it out.

Lindsey: It's fine. It's just ringing.

~~With the DOA~~

Danny and Hawkes walk into where the original crime scene that Lindsey, Layla, Don and Mac were at, and looks around. He sees Lindsey's case lying on the floor.

Danny: Lindsey's case. Still intact.

Hawkes picks up Mac's camera and examines it closely.

Hawkes: Mac's camera.

Danny looks at the DOA.

Hawkes: Hey. They must have gone up this way.

he said as he shone his flashlight up the stairs. They both walked up the stairs.

~~Outside~~

Stella is talking to a police officer.

Stella: We're still not clear about the safety of this building. Everyone outside the perimeter.

A woman in a black suit steps out of her vehicle and walks up to a police officer.

Woman: Who's in charge?

The police officer points to Stella.

Woman: Thank you.

the woman then walks overs to Stella.

Woman: Detective Bonasera? Ellen Fielding, DHS.

Stella: Homeland Security. You get here quick.

Fielding: A bomb goes off in New York City, we're paid to be here. You in charge?

Stella: Of the crime scene.

Fielding: Which is pretty much everywhere at this point.

Stella nodded.

Fielding: If you're OK with this, we'll set up a command post in there. We have mobile forensics capabilities.

...: Live one comin' through!

Stella looks at the person on the stretcher to make sure it's not Mac, Don or Layla.

Fielding: Survivors will be our number-one priority.

Stella: In the meantime?

Fielding: We'll put a local team together. Federal teams'll arrive soon. The only name I know for sure is Foster. Explosives and detonation. The rest of them you'll meet. Any questions, let me know.

Stella: Thank you.

...: Dean Lessing. You spoke at AAF conference in Cincinnati. Blast-pattern analysis.

he introduced himself while shaking Stella's hand.

Stella: Yes.

Lessing: It's my field also.

Stella: Well, Mr Lessing, hang tight. We'll let Search and Rescue do their thing first.

Lindsey walks up to Stella.

Lindsey: Building employee did a head count. At least eight more inside.

Stella: So with Don, Layla and Mac, that's 11 possible casualties.

Fielding: A weekday would be a lot more.

Lindsey: Maybe the people weren't the target, maybe it was the building.

~~Danny & Hawkes~~

The police have a camera inside the rubble looking for any possible survivors. Danny is sitting with a laptop looking at the footage from the camera. Suddenly Danny sees something.

Danny: Wait! Stop. there's a hand. Stop. Can you get a recovery crew in there.

...: Alpha team to the north stairwell.

A guy said into a radio.

Danny: Can we see who it is?

Cop: Mm-mm. No.


	5. Mac stops the Bleeding

~~Inside the building~~

Mac starts to wake up and move all the rubble off of him. Something falls through from the floor above. Mac notices he has blood on his shoulder and takes his jacket off.

Mac: Flack! Layla!

He moves some more rubble out of the way so he can move. He finds the guy with the headphones.

Guy: Over Here.

He groans in pain while Mac moves some rubble off of him.

Mac: Can you move?

The guy nods.

Mac: Come on.

~~Layla's POV~~

I woke up and looked around me I look to my right to see Don. I moved the rubble off me and moved over to Don. I hear Mac.

Me: Mac!

I look up to see Mac walking over to us with the guy from earlier.

Mac: Don. Don!

Me: Help me move this off of him!

Mac helped me get the rubble off of Don. Once We got the rubble of him, we saw a big hole in his left side.

Me: Mac. What do we do?

Mac: You're gonna be OK. You're gonna be OK.

he said to Don.

Don: (Faint) OK.

I felt like crying when I heard his voice.

Mac: Just hang on. We're gonna get you out of here.

Mac & I looked around and noticed Blue powder all over the floor.

Me: What's all the blue stuff?

Guy: I...ink powder. There's a copier on the floor above. It must have fallen through.

Mac looked at Don's wound. I was so scared. Scared that I might lose him.

Guy: Oh, God.

Mac looked around us. He picked up a bottle of water and rinsed his hands with it.

Me: What do we do?

Mac: You're gonna talk to him. Make sure he's OK.

I nod my head.

Me: OK

I said barely above a whisper. I lean down to Don and hold his hand. Mac then opened his shirt and wiped his hands on his vest top underneath. He then looked around in Don's wound.

Mac: Shoelace.

He said to the guy. He immediately took off his shoelace and gave it to Mac.

Me: You're gonna be OK, Don. You're gonna be fine. We have a date tonight, remember? You better not be late.

I laughed, my voice strained. I was scared. I didn't want to lose him, I just got him back. I can't lose him.

Don: (Faint) OK.

I looked at him. He squeezed my hand, I squeezed it back.

Mac: I need your help. Rinse off.

He said to the guy and handed him the water bottle to rinse his hands with.

Mac: Hold this.

He handed the guy a flashlight. He held it up so Mac could see what he was doing. Mac then took the shoelace and put it underneath Don's artery.

Mac: Give me your thumb and your forefinger, right now.

He hesitated. I did not want to lose Don because this kid would not help. I turned to the guy.

Me: If you don't give him your thumb and forefinger, so help me god I will knock your teeth so far down your throat you'll need to shove your toothbrush up your ass to clean them!

He looked at me scared. Mac looked at me in shock but went back to helping Don. I leaned back down to talk to Don. The kid gave Mac his thumb and forefinger.

Guy: OK, OK.

Mac: Clamp down, right on top of my fingers.

The kid whimpered. I didn't care, I just wanted Don to be alright.

Mac: Press.

Mac then tied the shoelace around Don's artery and managed to stop the bleeding.

Mac: Let go slowly.

The guy moved his hands away.

Guy: OK.

Mac moved away slowly.

Guy: How...how'd you know what to do?

Mac: I've lived through this moment before.

Mac takes his shirt off.

Mac: Search and Rescue will be here. Grab something and start banging around. Make some noise.

Guy: You...you think we're gonna make it out?

Mac: If the oxygen holds out and we don't get another collapse. Come on, make some noise.

Guy: OK, OK.

I just lay there talking to Don, talking about our childhood and all the fun times we had. I hope we get out of here soon and Don gets to a hospital. I don't know what I would do if something happened to Don.

Me: We're going to get out of here, Don. I'll make sure of it, then we can go out for that dinner you were talking about.

I smiled. Mac looked at me.

Mac: Do you know Don?

Me: I know about half of your team.

Mac: How?

Me: Well, Stella, she was the lead CSI on my friend, Cassie's murder. I know Danny because we were in the police academy together and Don...

Mac: How do you know Don?

Me: We grew up together. Our parents knew each other. We were best friends, you could not pull us apart no matter how hard you tried. Then he left for the academy. He followed in his fathers footsteps. I never saw him again after that, until now. 11 years later. He asked me to dinner tonight when we were walking to the crime scene.

I said smiling at the memories I was reliving.

Mac: We will get out of here, OK? Don will be fine and you will get to have that dinner, OK?

Me: OK.

The guy was banging on the walls with a metal rod.

Guy: Can anyone hear me? Help!

Mac then rips his shirt and stuffs a bit of it in Don's wound.

Guy: Help! We're in here! Help!


	6. Rescue finds us

~~Outside~~

Stella is talking to some FBI agents.

Stella: The most damaged pieces were closest to the blast. Any particles of the bomb need to be separated for analysis. You got it? We need a sample of the explosive itself, possibly from an inner wall. OK.

Lessing: It's hard to believe anyone's gonna survive that blast.

Stella: Yeah. Well, Mac Taylor was a marine. If anyone would survive it, he would.

~~Inside the building~~

~~Layla's POV~~

The guy is still banging on the walls and I am still talking to Don.

Me: Don, please stay with me, I don't wanna lose you. I have missed you for 11 years, now I finally have you back. Don't leave me.

I said while crying. Mac looked over at me.

Mac: He's going to be alright, Layla.

Me: How can you be sure, Mac?

Mac: 'Cause I know he will be. I remember one time, the team all went out for dinner and he told us a story about his best friend when he was young, until he went to the academy. I'm guessing that was you. He has missed you since he left. He wanted to find you, but he was scared in case you hated him for leaving.

Me: I could never hate him, he's my best friend. I Love Him.

I didn't even realize I said the last bit. I was just so scared that I would lose him. All of a sudden the guy stopped banging.

Guy: They found us.

Mac & I looked up and saw flashlights.

Guy: We're in here! We're in here!

I turned to look at Don.

Me: See look, Don. They found us. They've found us. We're gonna get out of here.

Danny: Mac! Layla, you in there?

Mac: Yeah, Danny! Flack's injured.

Danny: All right, we're coming!

We were all so relieved that we were safe. We were going to get out of here.

Danny and Search & Rescue managed to get to us and get us out of the building. They took Don and put him on a stretcher and wheeled him away. I was by his side, holding his hand. I went to the hospital with him. I promised Mac I would get check out at the hospital. Once we got to the hospital, they took Don along the hall. I would not let go of his hand, scared that he might disappear if I did. They then took him through double doors. Some nurses pulled me away from him.

Me: Let me go!

Nurse: You can't go in there.

Me: Don!

I screamed as I tried to push passed the nurses.

Nurse: Miss, you can't go in there, we will come out and tell you how he is once we're finished, OK?

She told me and let me go. I didn't know what to do. I went and sat in the waiting room. I felt so helpless. I was so scared, I just wanted to cry. A few minutes later, Danny came through the door and walked up to me.

Danny: Hey, Layla, you been checked out yet?

Me: No, I'll get checked out later.

Danny: No, Let's get you fixed up. We don't want Don to see you like this when he wakes up, do we?

He said with a smile. He knew about me and Don. I told him when we were in the academy. Danny walked over to the reception desk and ask if a doctor could check me out. He came back a few minutes later.

Danny: A doctor is just coming to take a look at you.

Me: Thanks, Danny.

He just smiled down at me. He sat beside me and put an arm around my back. We waited for 5 minutes, when a doctor called me. Danny & I followed the doctor to a room, where I sat on the bed. The doctor then took a look at my injuries.

Dr: Just some cuts and bruises. Nothing major.

Me: Thanks Doctor, do you know how Don Flack is doing?

Dr: I'm afraid I don't.

Me: OK, thanks Doctor.

Danny & I walked out into the waiting area and waited. Danny left, as he had to get back to the crime scene.

~~Back at the crime scene~~

Stella walks into the temporary post.

Stella: Paper the entire floor. We don't want to lose any trace no matter how small.

Stella walked over to Mac.

Stella: The other survivor, Smith, is getting patched up in the ambulance.

Mac: Other casualties?

Stella: You got most people out, but there were at least half a dozen trapped after the floor above collapsed. ESU's still searching the building.

Mac: All right.

Lessing walked up to Stella and Mac.

Lessing: Data uplink's ready. Glad you made it out, sir.

Lessing then walked away.

Mac: Uplink's for reconstruction data?

Stella: Documenting debris, bring it back to the lab and starting to put images together.

Mac: Start with the blast pattern...

Stella: Get to the bomb fragments. I'm on it.

Mac: Sorry. You know your job. It's just... Flack.

Stella: Yeah, well, they'll do everything they can. Layla's with him. She'll let us know as soon as she knows something.

Mac: How do you know Layla?

Stella: I was lead CSI on her friend's murder and she would help us out any way she could. She would stay at the lab and watch us work. She loved it and now I see she put it to good use. After her friend's case, I gave her my number and we've been friends ever since.

Mac: Did you know about Don and Layla?

Stella: That they were best friend when they were children and he left for the academy and they never spoke again? Yeah, I knew.

Mac: You should have seen her, Stel. She was so upset. She though she was going to lose him, when she just found him again after 11 years. She said she loved him, but I don't think she realized she said it.

Stella: I know she loves him. It's obvious when you've known her for so long. When she talks about him and their childhood together, she can't stop smiling.

Mac: I know. He asked her to dinner, when they were walking to the crime scene. When we were trapped in there she kept talking to him saying 'You're gonna be OK, Don. You're gonna be fine. We have a date tonight, Remember? You better not be late' and when I asked Smith for help he hesitated at first and Layla turned around and said to him if he didn't help me she was gonna knock his teeth down his throat.

Stella smiled at me.

Stella: 'Atta girl.

~~Inside the building~~

Danny is inside the building looking for any trace or evidence of the bomb. He picks up his phone and dials Lindsey's number.

Danny: Lindsey? I'm gonna send the first series of photos now. All right?

Then he hung up. He then send the photos to Lindsey.

~~Temporary Post~~

Stella and Fielding are waiting for Danny to show them what he found.

Danny: Lab confirms C-4. Military-grade explosive.

Stella: Sid said, the security guard was killed with a military technique.

Sid: the killer twisted the weapon to tear the aortic wall.

Lessing: You know, explosives of this type are marked with ID taggants by the manufacturer.

Danny: I could get us a source. Can't be hard. Military-grade explosives are hard to get hold of.

Stella: Not hard enough. Everything's back at the lab?

Danny: Everything we found, which wasn't much. Pieces of bag, burnt wires.

Stella: What we need to do is locate he bomb's trigger.


	7. At the Hospital

~~Back at the hospital~~

I was waiting for hours and nobody was telling me anything. Mac walked in and came over to me. I stood up and Mac hugged me. I hugged back. We let go a couple of seconds later.

Mac: Anything?

Me: Nothing.

As I said that the doctor that took flack walked out. I ran over to him.

Me: Is Don OK?

Mac walked over and stood beside me. The doctor turned around and started walking. He nodded for us to follow, so we did.

Dr: Detective Flack is under heavy sedation to stabilize him before we operate. The debris is lodged in his chest.

Mac: We're gonna need his clothing and any debris from his body.

Dr: We'll send it all to the lab.

Me: Can we see him?

Dr: Uh...he's best left alone for now.

Mac: OK, but right after the operation, before he's bandaged up.

Dr: OK.

We had to wait in another waiting room for what seemed like hours. After a while, the doctor came out and told us we can go in and see him now. Mac turned to me.

Mac: I'll go in and process him, you wait here.

Me: Mac, please, I need to see him, please.

I said in a pleading tone. Mac sighed and nodded. We walked into a room where we had to change into some scrubs. Then we walked into the room Don was in. He looked so lifeless. I just want to breakdown and cry, but I just couldn't. I didn't want to in front of Don. Even though he's not awake. I couldn't cry in front of him. We processed him. 20 minutes later, we were finished, I walked over to the table and lent down.

Me: You're gonna get through this, Don.

I said then kissed his cheek and we walked back out of the room. Once we walked back into the waiting room, I sat down.

Mac: Stay here and let us know if anything changed, I'm gonna go back to the lab.

Me: OK.

That was all I said. Mac left to go back to the lab.

After seeing Don. I just felt so useless and all I could do was sit and wait.

~~Back at the Lab~~

Mac walked into the lab to see Hawkes and Lindsey crowded round a computer.

Lindsey: How you doing, Lindsey? You OK?

Lindsey: Yeah, I'm fine. Any word on Flack?

Mac: Not yet.

Lindsey: What about Layla? How's she holding up?

Mac: Not great. She's scared.

Hawkes and Lindsey both nodded. They all turned to the computer screen.

Lindsey: So this is what the bomb simulation looks like.

Lindsey showed Mac the bomb simulation.

Mac: Run it again.

They watched it again.

Mac: These are our final positions at the moment of the explosion.

Mac: I was at the back, then Smith, then Layla, then Flack.

Mac: The trigger.

Hawkes: We've been through everything from the blast site. Fine-tooth comb. We looked everywhere.

Mac: Not everywhere.


End file.
